


If Everyone Cared

by karrenia_rune



Category: Naruto
Genre: Advice, Angst, community: fic on demand, teammates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-12
Updated: 2011-01-12
Packaged: 2017-10-14 17:06:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/151540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/pseuds/karrenia_rune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Opening up the lines of communication, even among his fellow teammates has never come easily to Nejii, but sometimes there are exceptions to every rule, and he is willing to give some much needed advice whenever necessary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If Everyone Cared

Title: If Everyone Cared  
Fandom: Naruto  
Author: karrenia  
Characters: Neji and Rock Lee  
Rating: PG-13  
Recepient: comamenos

It' my first time writing in this fandom, but I've seen the English dubbed episodes, so I hope it serves.

Disclaimer: Naruto and the characters of Neji, Rock Lee, and any others that appear here are the property of their original creators; they are not mine. The title was inspired by the Nickelback song by the same title.

"If Everyone Cared" by karrenia

Pushing the envelope was something that Neji was all too familiar with, but as much as it was matter of personal pride and a personal challenge to try and measure up to the expectations of his sensei when he was still in training and later on when he had progressed to the advance levels of the Leaf village shinobi; he could tell the outward signs of the difference between pushing the envelope and pushing oneself too far. There were limits and then there reasons why those limits existed in the first place.

As terribly as Rock Lee had been injured by Gaara of the Desert during the most recently concluded tournaments but even so Lee should know and respect those limits; and yet here was in defiance of both the advice of his doctors and the woman who was not only the leader of their village but the woman responsible for Lee's physical recovery.

The bandages that covered Lee's arms and legs were fraying around the edge, and the breeze blowing in from the northeast made the sleeves of his customary green and black tunic billow out as his its owner breath, exhaling and inhaling while he concentrated on running up and down the steps to the healing facility, and then completed a series of stiff one-armed push-ups.

Neji took all this in at glance, and although to all outward appearances  
Neji was not one much given to displaying his emotions, unlike most of his more flamboyant companions.

While he did not know much about Lee except for when they were teamed together, and from their school days; still Neji felt for the young man.

Lee needed something, and while Neji could not have explained in any coherent fashion why he felt moved to approach Lee and offer what comfort, hell, momentary soothing platitudes,

In the back of his mind Neji assumed rightly or wrongly, that by now Rock Lee had probably heard them all and knew more than anyone that how severe his injuries really were.

Deny his current predicament all he wanted; he was not one to ever give up.

Neji made a decision on the heels of that thought he made a decision to take action.

"Lee," Neji said as he crossed the space between them in several smooth strides and waited for the other to acknowledge his presence.

Lee stood up, sweat pouring from his lean frame and nodded. "Yes?" he said.

"I saw, I just wanted to say, "I'm not going to write off any member of my squad, or any member of my village. I never have, and I never will."

Lee appeared momentarily taken aback. "You understand what I'm going through, then?"

"More or less, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way," Neji sighed and then placed one lean hand on the other's shoulder. "That is the last thing I would want."

Lee nodded and squared his shoulders as he took a deep breath. "It's all good then?"

Neji removed his hands and stuffed them into his jacket pockets. "I really don't understand how any could be this optimistic considering the beating that our village has been through."

Lee nodded and then thrust out both arms perpendicular from his body and gave Neji the patented thumbs-up sign that he had learned and copied mannerisms from his sensei. "Here's to trying, rhymes with dying."

"Okay, Okay," Neji huffed. "All I want to leave you with is some advice."

"Yes," Lee asked. Any advice was welcome especially from Neji, who was never usually this forthcoming.

"There is such a thing as pushing the envelope and pushing too far," Neji offered up a grim but encouraging smile. "Promise me one thing, would you?"

"Anything, my friend," Lee replied.

"Just be careful, all right?"

Lee nodded and gave Neji another thumbs-up. "Message recieved and understood."


End file.
